Karen Baaba Sam, the mother at the centre of a high-profile child custody dispute, has filed a defamation lawsuit at the High Court in Accra against The New Crusading Guide newspaper, its publisher Kweku Baako Jr, and editor Ernest Addo.

She accuses them of publishing a “false, malicious and defamatory” story that has inflicted significant emotional and reputational damage on her and her six-year-old daughter.

The suit, filed on July 11, 2025, seeks multiple reliefs, including declarations that the publication was defamatory and violated the rights of her and her daughter (referred to in court as minor "O"), general and aggravated damages, a public apology, and an injunction against further publications.

At the heart of the lawsuit is a front-page story published on July 2, 2025, headlined: “Karen Baaba Sam Elopes With Child... Hops Out With 'Boyfriend' On Brussels Airline After Losing Custody Battle.”

The article alleged that Ms Sam illegally fled the country with her daughter following an adverse ruling in the custody case, accompanied by a man described as her boyfriend.

The publication included photographs of both mother and child, claiming they had boarded a Brussels Airlines flight in defiance of court orders.

The story used terms such as “slippery lady,” “trafficked the girl child,” and “fled the shores of Ghana,” which Ms Sam describes as criminalising, slanderous, and deeply damaging.

In her Statement of Claim, Ms Sam categorically denies the allegations. She describes the article as a “grossly malicious account of court proceedings, plainly calculated to cast [her] as a criminal who has eloped from justice.”

She explains that the custody and domestic abuse case involving her ex-partner, Kwadwo Adjei (also known as Nana Adjei), remains pending in court, with final judgments yet to be delivered.

She notes that after an interim access arrangement granted her weekday custody of the child was quashed on June 11, 2025, she lawfully picked up her daughter from school.

She recounts being inundated with panicked calls on the morning of July 2 after the article was published, describing how the front-page story and accompanying image placed her and her child at the centre of public scrutiny and ridicule.

Ms Sam accuses the defendants of engaging in a pattern of defamatory behaviour since January 2025, claiming that the campaign has subjected her to psychological, emotional, and physical abuse.

She alleges that sensitive personal information and images were unlawfully obtained from public and private institutions, including CCTV footage from airport security systems, and used without consent.

She further asserts that the publication violates laws protecting the identity and safety of children involved in domestic abuse and custody proceedings.

Ms Sam is asking the court to grant the following:

A declaration that the publication is defamatory.

A declaration that her and her daughter’s statutorily protected rights to safety and privacy were violated.

General damages for defamation.

General damages for the violation of her and her daughter's rights.

Aggravated and exemplary damages.

A written retraction and unqualified public apology.

A front-page retraction in the Daily Graphic and other platforms used by the defendants, published three times consecutively.

A permanent injunction restraining further defamatory or harmful publications about her and her child.

The case underscores growing concerns around media ethics, child protection, and the use of private surveillance data in public reporting.

The defendants are yet to file their response.